Running gear for rail vehicles



May 21, 1957 Filed Oct. 18, 1955 E. F; KREISSIG RUNNING GEAR FOR RAILVEHICLES 5 SheetsShet 1 May 21, 1957 E. F. KREISSIG 2,792,791

RUNNING GEAR FOR RAIL VEHICLES Filed 001;. 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May21, 1957 E. F. KREISSIG 2,792,791

RUNNINGGEAR FOR RAIL VEHICLES Filed Oct. 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 E. F.KREISSIG RUNNING GEAR FOR RAIL VEHICLES May 21, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed Oct. 18, 1955 May 21, 1957 i E. F. KREISSIG 2,792,791

RUNNING GEAR FOR RAIL VEHICLES Filed Oct. 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5RUNNING GEAR FOR RAIL VEHICLES Ernst Florian Kreissig,Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany Application October 18, 1955, SerialNo.541,173

Claimspriority, application GennanyApril 8, 1952' 7 Claims. (Cl.105-416) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copendingapplication Serial'No. 312,589, filed October 1, 1952, and nowabandoned.

This invention relates to running gear for supporting the bodies of railvehicles on a rail, and which gear can be used in all types of trains,but more especially in high-speed multiple-unit and passenger trains.

According to the invention, therunning gear consists of a resilientlongitudinal girder which is adapted to adjust itself to the curvatureof the track and to which the axles are so connected as toresistbending. This longitudinal girder is thus capable of undergoingdeformation in a horizontal plane in accordance with the track curves.It is not the function of the resilient longitudinal girder to take upand transmit the weights of the'wagon bodies, but it is able to take upthe tractive and brakingforces arising. The weight of the wagon bodiesis transmitted to the axles and wheels in known manner through springsuspensions or coil springs. The spring suspensions or the coil springsare adapted to take up the displacements of the axles in relation to thewagon body which result from the deformation of the resilientlongitudinal girder.

It is to be understood that the term axlc'whenever used herein includeshalf-axle.

In one embodiment of the invention, the resilient longitudinal girderextends under the Whole train. In accordance with an alternativeembodiment, it may be subdivided into two parallel. girders, one ofwhich guides the wheels on the right-hand side of the vehicle, While theother guides the wheels on the left-hand side of the vehicle. Inaddition, in accordance with the invention, the moment of inertia of thelongitudinal girder may vary in magnitude. More especially, it isadvantageous for the moment of inertia to decrease in the direction ofthe ends of the girder so as to relieve the end axles of load.

If the motors, gearings or other structural parts extend into the spaceprovided for the longitudinal girder, the girder may be replaced in theregion concerned by a frame which is so connected to the adjacentlongitudinal girders as to resist bending. The axles or half-axles mayalso be connected to the said frame.

The longitudinal girder may be composed of anumber of sections rigidlyconnectedtogether so as to resist bending. Finally, resilient carrierelements may, within the scope of the invention, be clamped between theends of two adjacent wagon, bodies.

Since the axles or half-axles are so secured to the resilientlongitudinal girder as to resist bending, they normally adapt themselvesto the curvature of the resilient girder when travelling along curvedsections of the track and thus ensure that the striking angles of thewheels remain small.

In most cases, it will be expedient to employ loose wheels, that is'tosay, wheels rotatably mounted on the axles or half-axles. In such cases,the wheels offer only small resistance to the guiding action. On theother United States Patent 6 2,792,791 patented. May 21, 1957 hand, ifthe wheels are fixedly mounted on the axle, they must be displaced withfriction in the steering of this axle on the track; for which greaterforces are necessary. Therefore, inorder to ensure sufficient steeringin cases where the wheels are fixedly mounted on the axle, the resilientlongitudinal girder must be made stronger than when loose wheels areemployed. If the wheels are rotatably mounted on the axle (loosewheels), the axle or half axle is rigidly. connected to the. resilientlongitudinal girder. When wheels fixedly mounted on the axle areemployed, the axle is mounted in. brackets, hollow axles or frames,rigidly connected to the resilient longitudinal girder.

The invention is based on the following theoretical considerations:

If the smallest radius of curvature of the track travelled on isdesignated by R1, the smallest vertical radius of curvature (change ofgradient) by R2, the. height of thegirder by h, the width of the girderby b, the modulus of elasticity of the girder material by E andthehighest stress occurring in the girder by 0' then the followingequations apply:

and

---2100O00 -38.1 cm.

For a radius of m., with the above girder dimensions, 0' is equal to1600 kg./cm. The dimensions may be varied in accordance with theforegoing formulae, depending upon the existing conditions of railwayoperation. if the dimensions of the resilient girder are reduced to suchan extent that they are just sufiicient for guiding the axles, thestresses in the girder due to the warping produced by the curvesencountered are infinitely small. The smallest track curvaturesoccurring can also be negotiated in an entirely satisfactory manner. Ifthe longitudinal girder is also to take up torsional moments, it ispreferably constructed as a hollow girder.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference will now be madeto the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of the running gear on a curve, as seenfrom below,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an axle with a loose wheel,

Figure 3 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a side elevation of part of an axle with fixed wheels,

Figure 5 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an axle, on which the wagonbody is mounted through the intermediary of coil springs,

Figure 7 is a plan view showing a constructional form in which twohalf-axles connected to the resilient longitudinal girder are instaggered relationship,

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic plan view of a vehicle in which guide rodsare provided between the wagon body and the resilient longitudinalgirder, and

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic plan view of a train of wagons havingresilient longitudinal girder elements provided between the Wagonbodies. v As will be seen from Figure l, the axles 2 carrying the loosewheels 3 are connected to the resilient longitudinal girder 1 in suchmanner as to resist bending. The resilient longitudinal girder 1 isconstructed, for example, as a hollow girder and couplings 4 are weldedor otherwise rigidly connected to the ends thereof, so that girders oflike construction and performing the same function may be connectedthereto to provide a girder unit having the same function and extendingalong the entire train. The weight of the wagon body bears throughsuspension means 5 and laminated springs 6 on the stubs of thehalf-axles 2 and consequently on the loose wheels 3. The running gearhas been illustrated from below during travel along a curve in the trackfor a better understanding, the track being indicated by dash-dottedlines. Figure 1 shows that the wheel sets always adjust themselvesperpendicularly to the tangent to the track by reason of the fact thatthe axles 2 are so connected to the resilient longitudinal girder 1 asto resist bending. The horizontal displacements of the axles in relationto the wagon body (shown in chain lines) which thus arise are taken upby the inclination of the suspension members 5.

In the constructional form illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the resilientlongitudinal girder 1a is an I-girder, to the web of which the twohalf-axles 2 are secured, for example by bolts. The wagon body bears onthe halfaxle 2 through suspension members 5 and laminated springs 6 asin Figure 1.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the connection of the resilient longitudinalgirder to fixed axles, that is to say, to axles rigidly connected to thewheels. longitudinal girder is again an l-section in this case.Connected to the resilient longitudinal girder 1a in such manner as toresist bending are two brackets 7, which support divided axle bearings 8at their ends. The laminated spring 6 is also secured to the saidbearings 8. The fixed axle can readily be fitted and removed afterremoval of the lower shells of the bearings 8.

In the constructional form illustrated in Figure 6, coil springs 10 areprovided, through which the wagon body bears on the half-axles 2. Thedeflection of the coil springs 10 results from the fact that the twohalf-axles 2 are situated with their loose Wheels 3 on a curve, that isto say, the wagon body indicated by the channel sections 11 is laterallydisplaced in relation to the half-axle 2. Since the coil springs 10 arecapable of performing both the vertical springing action and ahorizontal spring ing action, the displacements between the wagon bodyand the axle during travel along a curve are readily taken up by suchsprings.

Figure 7 shows in plan a resilient longitudinal girder sectioncorresponding to Figure l, which is constructed as a hollow girder, buton which the half-axles 2 are arranged in staggered relationship. Thehalf-axles 2 may again be secured by welding, screwing, or other meansin such manner as to be resistant to bending at the. point ofconnection. The hollow girder can readily take up the torsional stressesarising.

In Figure 8, five axles 2 having loose wheels 3 mounted The resilientthereon are so secured to the resilient longitudinal girder 1 as toresist bending. Disposed between each terminal axle and the axleadjacent thereto is a guide rod 12, which is secured to the wagon body13. The said guide rods transmit the centrifugal force of the wagon body13 to the longitudinal girder 1 during travel along a curve, so that thelongitudinal girder 1 is additionally curved and the leading axles areaccordingly set to a greater extent to a radial or over-radial positionin relation to the track.

In the particular construction according to Figure 9, resilientlongitudinal girder elements 15 are clamped between wagon bodies 14 andaxles 2 resistant to bending are provided mid-way along the longitudinalgirder elements 15. These axles 2 which have loose wheels 13 adjustthemselves radially in the curve of the track. In this case thecurvature of the resilient longitudinal girder elements 15 in the curveof the track is greater than that of the curved track section, that isto say, the radius of curvature of the resilient elements 15 is smallerthan the radius of the curvature of the curve of the track. Since theresilient longitudinal girder elements 15' are consequently deflected toa greater extent and the frames 14 undergo no deflection correspondingto the curve of the track, the effect on the members 14 and 15 is thesame as with a resilient girder extending along the entire length of thetrain as in Figure l.

I claim:

1. Running gear for supporting the body of a rail vehicle on a railtrack, the gear comprising a resilient longitudinal girder that has aspringing action in a horizontal plane whereby it is adapted to adjustitself to the curvature of the track, axles rigidly connected to thegirder so as to be resistant to bending, and wheels that co-operate withthe track and are carried by the axles.

ZQRunning gear according to claim 1, wherein the moment of inertia ofthe resilient longitudinal girder decreases towards the ends of thevehicle body.

3. Running gear according to claim 1, wherein the resilient longitudinalgirder consists of a number of units, and bend-resisting connectionsjoining these units.

4. Running gear according to claim 1 and further comprising spring meansthat support the body on the axles and at the same time take up thelateral displacement of the resilient longitudinal girder in relation tothe body.

5. Running gear according to claim 1, and further comprisingbend-resisting couplings at each end of the resilient longitudinalgirder for connection each to an adjacent resilient longitudinal girderof another similar gear.

6. Running gear according to claim 1, and further comprising guide rodsdisposed between each end axle and the adjacent axle of the gear, theguide rods being connected to the body and acting transversely on thegrider thereby serving additionally to deflect the resilientlongitudinal girder during travel along a curve.

7. Running gear according to claim 1 and further comprising frame-likestructures that interrupt the girder along its length and are connectedto the resilient longitudinal girder so as to be resistant to bending.

No references cited.

